By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Describing the importance of Joe Cavazos III to the Hanna football team requires only a few words, Golden Eagles coach Rene Medrano said.
“He’s a keeper,” said Medrano of Cavazos, a sophomore wide receiver who is The Brownsville Herald’s 2015 All-Metro Newcomer of the Year.
Not only did Cavazos catch 45 passes for 811 yards and seven touchdowns as a newcomer to the varsity during the season just completed, he also returned punts and kickoffs for the Eagles. Medrano said the standout sophomore didn’t quite make it all the way to the end zone but still had returns of 30 yards or more at least four or five times.
It was quite a strong start to Cavazos’ varsity football career as he averaged 18.9 yards per reception.
“At the beginning of the season I really didn’t think I would get that many catches and yards, but after my first game (that included a 35-yard TD catch), I was feeling pretty confident that I would keep up my (receiving) percentages,” said Cavazos, a 5-foot-7, 145-pounder. “I’m pretty fast and I have quick feet, so that’s good for running my routes.
“Every day after school (as a freshman during the offseason) I would go out and catch passes from (quarterback) Andy (Lopez),” Cavazos added. “He would help me with my routes and tell me what I was doing wrong and how to run them (so I could) catch the ball and do what I could do.”
Medrano said Cavazos’ success is a byproduct of playing just like he practices.
“Joe had a great season because he puts in the time (it takes) to have a great season,” the Hanna coach said. “He puts in the extra time and the extra work you need to invest to do something like that.
“We saw it through the offseason that he was developing really well, and we felt he could be a player that would make an impact,” Medrano added. “He has a business-like approach to practice. He’s really all about hard work and doing things right all the time. I know he has fun doing what he does, but he takes a serious, business-like approach that he’s not going to waste any reps out there in practice and he gets the most that he can out of it.
“I’m really happy for him. We knew through the offseason that if everything went well, he could have an exceptional year, and as it turned out he did. We’re really fortunate to have him in the program and have him coming back. It’ll be exciting to see what kind of team we can put together with him (in the lineup) next season.”
Cavazos began playing competitive athletics as a 7-year-old, and he appreciates the support and instruction he has received from his parents, Joe Jr. and Gloria Cavazos, and from his coaches all the way back to the very beginning.
“My dad has always worked a lot with me, and he’s always been supporting me since I was 7,” Cavazos said. “He’s always been there for every single one of my games, and my mom, too. I thank them and all my coaches, even the ones I had in Little League.
“Getting an award like this one (for All-Metro) just pushes me to work harder and harder every day,” he added. “If something (good) is to happen in the future, I know God has a plan for me.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.